Lubrication



Oct. 12, 1954 1'. R. THOMAS 2,591,428

' LUBRICATION Filed Jan. 11, 1949 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 II: F'

/V /77 2,2 [I c 4 as T 5 80 8! C z 82 7Q Emmi 89 HIIIIL l i mum [N V EN TOR. Thomas R. Thomas ATTORNEYS '7 Sheets-Sheet 6 INVENTOR 7120mm; Zfkams LUBRICATION T. R. THOMAS Oct. 12, 1954 Filed Jan. 11. 1949 ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 12, 1954 LUBRICATLON Thomas R. Thomas, New York, N. Y., assignor to Auto Research Corporation, Dover, DeL, a corporation of Delaware Application January 11, 1949, Serial No. 70,363

6 Claims.

The present invention relates to a lubricating installation and partially relates to a fog lubrication system.

In many lubricating installations, it is customary to feed the lubricant in predetermined proportions through conduits to a bearing or bear ings which are to be lubricated.

It has now been found that for certain types of machinery where the bearings are encased and where there may be a desired circulation of gaseous fluids within the casing that a lubricant may be applied to bearings in the form of a fog or dispersion of air-borne or gas-borne lubricant particles of desired spacing and size at a desired circulation rate.

It is among the objects of the present invention to provide improved lubricating installation of a character described for creating a dispersion or flow of suspended lubricant particles which will result in adequate and effective lubrication of bearings within the casing or enclosure whch may be advantageously applied to machine tools as well as other machine lubrication.

Still other objects and advantages will appear in a more detailed description set forth below, it being understood that this more detailed description is given by way of illustration and explana-. tion only and not by way of limitation, since various changes may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.

In accomplishing the above objects, it has been found most satisfactory according to one embodiment of the present invention to provide an enclosure which may form part of the machine, with which is associated an air pump or an air injection system.

This air pump is desirably so associated with lubricant feeding and noozle means as to cause a fog discharge which will disperse itself and circulate in the desired manner in the casing to lubricate the bearings therein.

- In the drawings, which illustrate butseveral of the possible embodiments of the present invention, these drawings being by way of illustration and not by way of limitation:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view partly in section illustrating one schematic layout for lubricating installation according to the present invention as applied to a lathe headstock, illustratinga reservoir and circulating pump installed outside of a machine housing;

Fig. 1a is a detail fragmentary vertical sectional view of the fog nozzle of Fig. 1 upon an enlarged scale ascompared to Fig- 1;

Fig. 2 is an elevational view partly in section of another embodiment as applied to a lathe, showing a self contained system wherein the pump is built into the machine housing and there is no external piping;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of another embodiment as applied to a lathe, with the system being self-contained and the pump being built into the machine housing and without external pip n Figs. 4 and '5 are transverse sectional views, upon enlarged scales as compared to Figs. 1 and 3, of atomizing or fog producing nozzles, which may be utilized in embodiments of Figs. 1 to 3;

Figs. 4a and 5a show rear views of atomizing nozzles of Figs. 4 to 5 upon the lines of 4a,'4'a and 5a,5a of Fig. 5 respectively; Y

Figs. 6 and 7 show an alternative pump construction upon an enlarged scale as compared to Figs. 1 to 3, Fig. 6 being a top plan view partly in section. and Fig. 7 being a transverse sectional view upon the line 1-1 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a transverse sectional view similar to Fig. 7 of an alternative construction;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of an alternative construction to that shown in Figs. 6 to 8;

Fig. 10 is a vertical side elevational view, partly in section, of still another embodiment showing part of the machine housing containing the bearings to be lubricated;

Fig. 11 is a top plan view, partly in section, of still another embodiment;

Fig. 12 is an end elevational view from the line l2l2 of Fig. 11;

Fig. 13 is a transverse sectional view taken upon the line l3i 3 of Fig. 12;

Fig. 14 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of an alternative construction having a centrifugal lubricant pump;

Fig. 15 is a side sectional view similar to Fig. 14 of another embodiment;

Fig. 16 is a side elevational view upon a relatively small scale of an alternative form of lubricant supply unit including a gear pump and a lubricant fog producing unit mounted on a cover in the same reservoir;

Fig. 17 is a schematic side elevational View, partly in section, better to show the reservoir and Venturi structure of an alternative embodiment;

Fig. 18 is a fragmentary side sectional view constituting an enlargement of the Venturi structure of Fig. 17 to show the detailed construction thereof; and

Fig. 19 is a schematic side elevational view showing still another alternative embodiment of fog lubricator and machine housing.

Referring to the embodiment of Fig. i, there is shown a balanced fog lubrication installation, including a lubricant reservoir A, a pump 13 and a fog producing unit mounted upon the outside or the machine housing D.

The reservoir or oil supply A takes the form of a tank or container Hi having the body of oil II which extends up to the level 42. The container I9 is provided with an enclosure, cover or lid I3 and with an intervening gasket it. The cover 13 carries the casing of the oil pump B. The pump .8 has an inlet at it and an outlet at I! which discharges through an opening E8 in the cover E3. The pump B has a drive shaft i9 which may be suitably driven from a part of the machine being lubricated or which may be independently driven.

The cover 13 also carries 2. depending tube 29 secured to the nipple 24 on the cover l3 by the compression coupling connection 21. The inter nal tube communicates with an external tube 22 which is connected by the nipple 24 and by the compression coupling 23. The outlet connection or fitting 25 on the cover I3 is connected to the tube 26 by the compression coupling connection 21.

The tubes 22 and 26 are attached by the compression coupling connections 28 and 28 to the lower section 30 of the fog producing or atomizing unit C.

The unit 0 is provided with a flange 34 which is connected in oil tight fashion by the gasket 32 to the base 33 of the machine housing D. The housing D may be the casing of a lathe headstock.

The upstanding portion 34 of the element C has an oil reception chamber 35 receiving oil from the tube 22. The oil reception chamber 35 communicates with the atomizer or fog producing nipple 36. This'nipple 36 is encircled by an annular passage 37 which communicates with the chamber 38 and the bore 39 receiving air under pressure from the tube 26.

The upstanding portion 34 is also provided with an oil overflow passage 40 which receives the excess oil from the chamber 35 and discharges into the interior of the machine tool housing D.

Connected to the bottom 33 of the machine housing D is the right angle nipple M. The tube 42 is connected to the right angle nipple 41 by the compression coupling connection 43. The tube 52 serves as an oil and air return to the pump B. r

In operation, the machinery enclosed within the housing D is continuously supplied with a fog of lubricant from the atomizer element C. The air pressure created above the liquid l2 in the reservoir A by the pump B will force air under pressure through the tube 26 to the element 0 with lubri cant being drawn through the tube 22 to the unit C and being dispersed in a fog through said unit C.

Excess of oil will be withdrawn by the pump B through the tube 42 together with air. The pump B will normally be so connected with the mechanism within the housing D so as to operate continuously as the mechanism operates.

In the embodiment of Fig. 2 the machine housing D, receiving the lathe spindle E, has a lower portionA' forming a lubricant reservoir. The reservoir A'carries the combined motor and air pump unit B as well as the atomizer unit C.

ple 36. The air is taken in through the inlet Immersed in the body of oil H is the filter unit 50, which is carried by the attachment 52 on the depending tube 20'. The depending tube 20' enters the body 34'. The tube 213' communicates with the oil inlet chamber 35. The chamber 35' communicates with the atomizing nipple 36. The air is fed through the passage 38' to the annular passage 31'. There it picks up the oil in the form of fog and passes outwardly through the opening 53 in the nipple 54 which encircles atomizing nipin the body 34.

In Fig. 2 parts which function the same as parts in Fig. 1 are designated by the same letters and numerals provided with a prime.

In Fig. 3 is shown another embodiment in which parts having the same function as in Figs. 1 and 2 are indicated by the same letters and numerals provided with a superior 2.

In Fig. 3 the reservoir A forms part of the machine housing D receiving the lathe spindle E The air pump B as well as the atomizing unit (3 are both within the machine housing D The lubricant H receives the strainer 56 attached by a ring 52 to the depending tube 20 The depending tube 20 is threaded at 21 to the body 34 of the atomizing unit C The tube 20 has a spray element 36 passing through the air chamber 38 and through an opening 31 The opening 31 forms an annular passageway around the spray nozzle 36 The tube 26 is connected to the air outlet H of the pump body iii which has the air intake 55 It will be noted in Figs. 2 and 3 that there is no external piping and that the fog producing installation is self-contained with the pump being built into the machine housing.

In Figs. 4 and 5 are shown two atomizer constructions C and (3 adapted for use in the device of Fig. 1.

As shown in Fig. 4, the body 60 is threaded as indicated at 6! to be received in the machine housing. The body 86 has a flange 62 which may press an' oil tight gasket 59 against the side of the housing.

The flange 62, which is of hexagonal shape, receives the tapped opening 63 for connection to the air outlet of an air pump and the tapped opening 64 for a conduit connection to a body of oil in a reservoir which may be maintained under pressure as already described in Figs. 1 to 3.

The chamber 65 inside of the tapped opening 63'communicates with a bore 66. The bore 85 in turn communicates with a recess 61 in the nipple portion of the body 60.

The chamber 68 inside of the tapped opening 64 communicates with the bore 53 which is recessed at .18 to receive the base ll of the atomizing nozzle 12. The atomizing'nozzle I2 is provided with a small diameter nipple portion 13 which projects forwardly into the chamber 67. The opening M in the insert 15 receives the nipple 1'3. The insert 15 is press-fitted into and closes the chamber 61. The plate has a conically shaped recess 36 extending toward the nipple 13.

The atomizing nozzle as shown in Fig. 4 maybe utilized in lieu of the atomizing nipple shown at C in Fig. l.

In 5 the spray nipple C has a circular flange portion 8i], carries a gasket 19 and has a threaded nipple 3i with a smaller diameter nipple 82. On. the nipple 32 is fitted. the skirt 83 of the sheet. metalcup .84. The cup- 84 has a bulged portion 85 with a center opening '86. The body of the nipple C is provided with the tapped openings 81 and 88 respectively for receivin an air connection from the air pump B and for receiving an oil connection from the reservoir A previously described in connection with Figs. 1 to 3. I

The recess 89 inside of the tapped opening 81 communicates with the bore 90 which in turn communicates with the recess 9-I between the cup 84 and thetop or end of the nipple 82. .Inside of the tapped opening 86 is the recess 92 which communicates with the bore 93. The bore 93 communicates with the transverse bore 94 which in turn communicates with the small diameter atomizing bore 95 which extends into the nipple 96 on the end of the nipple 82. The nipple 96 projects into the openingv 66. As a ree sult, the air rushing from the bore 90 into the chamber 9| will aspirate oil through the bore 95, through the opening 86 into the interior of the machine housing.

In the embodiment of Figs. 6 and '1 is shown a base plate IOI having the bolt openings I02 enabling mounting of the atomizing or fog discharge unit upon a suitable machine housing or mechanism. The pump body I I1 is provided with an upper plate I 93 which has a simple nipple I 04 projecting through the opening I05 in the plate "II. The nipple I04 has a central opening I06 for a shaft I01 which has an oil tight bearing I08 in a recess I90 in the top of the nipple I04. The upper end of the shaft I01 has a driving slot I15. The plate I03 is held in position by two bolts IIO, one of which is shown. The bolt III) passes through the opening III in the member IOI and washer I and is threaded at II 2 to the flange I03.

Upon the shaft I01 is the central element I53 having the slots II carrying the vanes I I4. The vanes II4 are normally pressed outwardly by centrifugal force against the interior wall I16 013 the pump body II1. The pump body H1 is provided with a recess II8 receiving the threaded nipple II 9. The nipple II9 has a central axial Venturi opening I20.

The element I I9 has a fillister slot I2I enabling it to be screwed into position in the recess H6.

Communicating with the reduced diameter portion of the Venturi opening I20 are the radial bores I22 which open into the annular groove I23. The inside end I24 of the element H9 is of reduced diameter and it compresses the gasket I25 against the base of the recess H0. The recess H8 is provided with an opening I26 into the interior I I6 of the pump body I I1. The other side of the pump body is provided with a transverse bore I21 having a tapped outer portion I28. The tapped outer portion I28 receives the fog discharge nipple I29.

Attached to the base of the pump body H1 is the plate I30 recessed at I3I to receive the filter I32 peripherally held in position by the snap ring I34 and the retainer ring I33. At the inside of the recess I3I are the double screens I35 which back up the filter pad I32. I

The plate I30 has a central opening I36 receiving the reduced diameter portion I31 of the shaft I01. The plate I30 is also provided with a tapped opening I 33 which receives the threaded portion I39 of the fitting I40 which has a central oil restriction orifice MI. The upper portion of the fitting I40 is of reduced diameter so a to fit into a recess I43 in the pump body which recess terminates in' a shortbore I44 communicating with the peripheral groove I23 Of the element I I9.

In the embodiment of Figs. 6 and 7, the vane pum I I 4I I1 draws lubricant through the filter I32 and the orifice MI by aspiration of the air which is drawn through the venturi hole. I20 producing a fog in the pumpchamber I I6. This fog will normally pass into the interior of the machine housing and thoroughly lubricate the bearings therein. The oil level as indicated at I45 will normally be above the filter plate I 30 but below the nozzle I29. I

In Figs. 8 and 9 are shown alternative constructions similar to those shown in Figs. 6 and 7 with similarly functioning parts being indicated by the same numerals provided respectively with the superior 3 and asuperior 4. I

In Fig. 8 the groove I4I serves as a restriction groove for the oil and theoil is admitted thereto through the passageway I382 The oil then passes into the chamber I43 the bore I44 into the venturi hole I20 There it is picked u and drawn into the pump chamber H6 The pump chamber I I6 will cause a fog to pass into the chamber I21 and out through the nozzle I29 The nozzle I29 is press-fitted into the bore I21 In Fig. 9, lubricant is drawn through the filter I32 through the restriction :I4I which is housed in a groove I41 in the plate I30 and has an outlet compression coupling connection I46. The outlet communicates with the bore I44 which in turn communicates with the venturi hole I20 In Fig. 9 the lubricant is drawn through. the reduced diameter tube. I4I and the bore I44 by the Venturi tube effect set up in the venturi hole I20 In Fig. 10 is shown an embodiment utilizing the pump of Fig. 7 in which there is a vertical drive installation. The mounting plate IIII has been modified, however, by being provided with the portion I6I forming the base of a cup I62 with the outstanding flanges I63. The flanges I63 are'connected by the bolts I64 to base plate I65 of the motor I66 and the flanges I61 and I68 forming part of the machine housing I69. The machinehousing I69 has an outstanding cup member I10 below the flanges I61 and I66 serving as a reservoir. This reservoir I10 is provided with a sight glass I H The base plate I65 has 2. depending portion I12 fitting into the recess I13 of the cup I62. By this connection, the depending shaft I14 of the motor I66 will be aligned with the upwardly projecting end of the pump shaft I01. The shafts I14 and I01 are connected by the slot I15 and the spline I 16. The normal oil level as indicated at I11 should be at the middle of the window I1I with the level varying between the top and bottom of the window I1I as indicated by the lines I18 and I19.

In Figs. 11 to 13, the horizontal shaft 200 has a driving slot 20I The shaft 200 passes through the opening 202 in the cover plate 203, which has a recess 204 receiving the packing material 205. The cover plate 203 is attached to the pump body 206 by the screws 201. The pump body 206 has a pump recess 208 receiving the rotary element 209 having the vanes 2I0. The rotating vanes 2 I I] draw in air through the replaceable Venturi tube element 2I2 screwed into the tapped opening 213 by the fillister slot 214. The Venturi tube element 2I2 has a central passageway 2I5 communicating with the annular recess 2I6 by the radial bores 2I1. The gasket 7 2H! seals the end of the Venturi tube element 2|2 where it communicates with the passageway 2!!! leading into the pump recess 268.

The opposite side of the pump body 266 carries the fog discharge nozzle 220 by the elbow 22!.

Attached to the pump body 266 is the plate 222 by the screws 223. The plate 222 has ribs 224, 225 and 226, the last mentioned carrying the lubricant bore 221 and extending down to the mushroom opening 233 into the cup member 228. The cup member 228 has a recess 229 receiving the filter 230, the backing screens 23!, the snap ring 234 and the retaining ring 232.

The lubricant from the filter 239 passes through the bore 221 to the recess 235 closed by the plate 236. The recess 235 receives the bearing end 231 of the shaft 260. From the recess 235 the lubricant flows through the bore 238 closed by the plug 239 to the transverse bore 246.

The oil restriction intake orifice member 24! is provided with a restriction passage I99 and has an enlarged inlet end 242 fitting into the recess 243 in the plate 222 and an outlet end 244 projecting into the recess 245 in the pump body 266. The recess 245 communicates with the bores 2H of the Venturi tube element 2l2.

In operation the pump vanes 216 will draw air past the bores 2H of the element 2!2 creating a lubricant fog which is forced out through the nozzle 226.

In the embodiment of Fig. 14, the shaft 263 has a drive slot 26!. The air pump body 262 with the cover plate 259 is of the same construction as in Figs. 6 and 7 with an inlet filter 263, backing screens 258, a retainer ring 251 and a snap ring 256 all in the recess 255. The air pump body 262 has an outlet fog nozzle 264. The lubricant passes into the chamber 265 between the legs 266 of the spider 261. The bolts 268 connect the spider 261 to the mounting plate 366 of the pump casing 269. The pump casing has a central recess 216 closed by the bottom plate 21!. The bottom plate 21! is connected by the fibre or leather gasket 212 and bolts 213 to the casing 269.

The casing 269 carries the bearing 2-62 for the shaft 214 which projects at 215 into the chamber 265 where it is provided with a collar 216 and a pin 211. The shaft 214 has a slot 218 which receives the spline 213 of the shaft 266 which projects downwardly through the filter 263.

The lower end 28! of the shaft 214 is serrated and fits into the hub member 343 soldered or welded to the top plate 283 of the rotary centrifugal pump base member 284. The plate 263 has openings 265 receiving the peened over extensions 286 of the vertical plates 281 extending between the plate 283 and the conical base plate portion 266 of the pump base member 284.

The lubricant enters through the central bottom tubular member 263, passes between the plates 261 outwardly through the recesses 29!) inwardly through the upper chamber 26 I, the bores 292 and 293 and through a fitting 294 (as shown in Fig. 15), to any part or parts requiring lubricant, as for example the gears in the headstock of a lathe.

The downward tubular portion 236 of the base member 264 is sealed by the annular sealing member 296 fitted into the recess 29'! in the downwardly projecting portion 298 of the bottom plate 21!. The baffle fins 263 recessed at 3 and placed in the chamber 29! slow down the rush of lubricant.

The unit of Fig. 14 is preferably immersed in lubricant up to the level 3!! leaving the nozzle" 264 and air intake (not shown) above the lubricant level.

In the lubricant fog producing and pump combination of Fig. 15, similarly functioning parts as in Fig. 14 being indicated by the same numerals primed, there are two bearing sleeves 366 and 36! pressed into casing 269. The thrust collars 362 and 303 serve to keep shaft 214 in place. The collars are held in place by the set screw M2 and pin 3|3, respectively. Instead of plates 281, the bottom plate 364 is bent up and welded at spaced portions 365 to the top plate 366. The top plate 268' has an opening 338 to permit drilling and tapping of opening 400.

In the combined units of Figs. 14 and 15, the centrifugal pump will lubricate, by spray or di-: rect circulation, the low speed bearings and gears of the headstock in various machines such as lathes of the Potter 8: Johnson, Monarch and Warner 8.: Swasey types. The centrifugal pump will supply lubricant to these bearings at about 20 lbs. per square inch. The fog, on the other hand, will be distributed to various points in the headstock and lubricate the high speed bearings, particularly the anti-friction bearings of the high speed spindles, maintaining a thin film of lubricant upon them. This will be done Without cre-g ation of a positive pressure and without excessive leakage of air through the bearings.

In the preferred embodiments above, there is used a vane typeair pump with a return line from the bearing housing to the pump, creating a balanced condition to eliminate positive pressure and leakage (see particularly Fig. 1).

To avoid connecting exterior lines, the entire pump and fog creating and ejection unit may be placed in a machine housing (see Figs. 2 to 14) In Fig. 16 is shown a combination of an oil pump 560 and a fog pump 56! mounted in the cover 502 in the reservoir casing 563. Each pump has an outlet pipe 594 and 565 and oil inlet through the filter units 566 and 501.

Pump 566 may have a constant feed gear pump unit 568. Pump 56! has an inlet 569.

The drive is from the left by the belt 516 which drives the shaft 5!! through pulley 5l2. Pulley 5|3', through belt 5M, drives pulley 515 on shaft 5 6. Thus in one unit is provided both a lubricant and fog pump with a common drive.

Referring to Fig. 1"], the reservoir 656 receives the fog lubricator unit 65!. The cover 652 of the fog lubricator unit 65! is positioned upon the periphery 653 of an opening 654 in the reservoir 650.

The reservoir is provided with the mounting elements 655 and receives the lubricant 656.

The fog lubricator unit 65! has an externally driven shaft 65! which drives the blower or pump unit 658. To the bottom of the pump unit 656 is attached a filter unit 659. p

The fog produced by the unit 656 will be ejected through the fog outlet or nozzle 660 in the side of the body 658.

As is best shown in Fig. 18, the filter unit 656 carries the felt filter 66! backed by the metallic screens 662. The filter 66! is held in position by the ring 663. The upper structure 664 of the filter unit 659 has a tapped opening 649 which receives the threaded end 665 of the oil restriction orifice unit 666. The upper outlet end of the unit 666 projects into the socket 661.

The lubricant passes from the socket 661 through the passage 666 into the bore 669 and into the passage 61!]. V

The pump unit 658 will exert a substantial sue:

. 9 tion upon the chamber 61!. The chamberfi'll is closed by plug 612. The venturi unit M8 is screwed into the tapped opening 641 in the pump body 658 by the fillister slot 646. This suction will draw upon the venturi hole or passage 673 in the unit 648 having the side openings 61.4. These side openings 614 will exert a suction upon the chamber 61 i, drawing lubricant up past the filter 6B! and through the passages 668, 669 and 610.

The fog or lubricant ejected through the fog outlet 66!] will pass into the air space 680 above the lubricant body 666 (see Fig. 17). It will then flow through the coupling connection 681 and through the pipe 682 to the machine housing 585.

The pipe or tubing 682 will be connected ,by the.

coupling fitting 683 to the wall 684 of the machine housing 685.

The fog then will pass through the short tubing section 686 into the head 681 where it is distributed to the spray nozzles 588 and $89 by the tubing B90 and Bill and directly to the spray nozzle 692.

From the bottom of the reservoir at 693 the return flow tubing 694 is connected by the compression coupling fitting 695] This fitting is connected to the adaptor '696, which has a threaded projection 69'! (see Fig. 18) to screw into a tapped opening 698 in the cover 692.

The unit as shown in Figs. 17 and 18 is designed to draw air and lubricant from the machine housing 685 by the tube 694. It will create a fog in the upper air chamber 68!] of the reservoir 659.

The larger oil particles will be thrown against the walls of the reservoir 650 and the dry oil fog will then pass through the tubing 682 into the machine housing 685. The dry fog may then be distributed by the nozzles 688, 889 and 692.

This unit will produce a much drier fog than if the fog would be discharged directly from the fog unit 55! into the tubing 682.

In the arrangement shown in Fig. 19, the reservoir 'llil has a lubricant body HI and an upper air body H2. The fog lubricant unit H3 has a pump section H4 with a venturi unit H5, a filter arrangement H and a restriction H1. The pump is driven by the shaft 1 l 8.

The venturi unit H5 will draw air directly out of the space H2 as indicated by the arrow H9. This fog will then be forced into the passage 126 to the coupling connection 12] and the tubing 722. From the tubing I22, the lubricant fog will pass through the adaptor 123, into the tube 124, and to the nozzles 126, 121 and 128 inside of the housing 725.

From the bottom of the reservoir, as indicated at 729, the lubricant will flow into the tubing 130 into the reservoir H0.

In the arrangement shown in Fig. 19, the venturi unit H5 is part of the fog pump H4 and the passages i213 and i2! serve to discharge the fog directly to the spray heads or distributors 126, 72'! and 128. The excess lubricant and fog will flow back into the reservoir Hll through the pipe 730.

Generally the fog pump of the present invention may well be started before the machine by an auxiliary motor so that the bearings will be immersed 'in the fog before the machine is started. This may be accomplished automatically by a switch which will start operation of the fog pump at a predetermined interval before the machine is started.

At the same time the fog pump should be alternatively stopped just before or at the same 10 time'as the machine being lubricated to avoid sucking in dirt. 1

The fog lubricator of the present invention may be associated with a fully circulating, partly-circulating or non-circulating system with part or all of the fog being condensed and returned to the reservoir.

Since certain changes may be made in the above lubricating installation and different embodiments of the invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. In a foglubricatio-n installation a machine casing containing mechanism to be lubricated, a separate lubricant casingserving as a lubricant reservoir having an upper air space and a lower lubricant body, a fog producing member opening into said machine casing mounted at said machine casing and having an outlet nozzle opening into and spraying a lubricant fog into. said casing and having inlets to receive air and lubricant under pressure, and lubricant and air conduits extending between said inlets and said lubricant reservoir, the lubricant conduit extending from the lubricant body to the nozzle and the air conduit extending from the upper air space to the fog-producing member, an air and lubricant pump to force air pressure into said reservoir casing past said nozzle and a return conduit from said machine casing to said lubricant casing extending to and through said air and lubricant pump and serving to feed air and lubricant from the machine casing.

2. The installation of claim 1 in which said air and lubricant pump is mounted upon said lubricant casing, said air and lubricant pump serving to draw air and lubricant through said return conduit and discharge it into said air space.

3. A lathe headstock lubrication installation of the type having a housing enclosing the headstock bearings and a fog-producing unit in the wall of said housing, said unit including a nozzle with a central small opening, an encircling structure forming an annular passage around said nozzle, said structure having an air inlet chamber to supply air to said annular passage;

and an oil inlet chamber to supply oil to said nozzle, a lubricant and compressed air reservoir and conduits from the upper and lower part of said reservoir to said chambers and an air and lubricant pump to pump air and oil into said reservoir from the housing, said pump having a supply conduit extending from said housing to the pump and said pump also having an outlet opening into said reservoir.

4. The installation of claim 3 in which a passage to said oil inlet chamber is also provided from the interior of the housing so that said oil inlet chamber may receive lubricant from the interior of said housing.

5. The installation of claim 3, said pump being mounted upon the top of said reservoir and said supply conduit for said pump being connected to the bottom of said housing and drawing air and lubricant from the bottom of said housing and supplying it to said reservoir.

6. In a fog lubrication installation for a mechanism having a closed housing with a plurality of bearings to be lubricated by a lubricant fog, comprising a reservoir with a chamber forming a; combined lubricant and compressed air receptacle, a cover for said receptacle, an air and lubricant pump mounted on said cover and discharging through said cover into the receptacle, three conduits extending between said receptacle and said housing, an aspirator spray nozzle unit mounted on the wall of said housing and discharging into the housing, one conduit connecting the lower part of the receptacle below the level of lubricant in the receptacle to the nozzle unit, a second conduit connecting the upper part of the receptacle where there is contained the compressed air in the receptacle to the nozzle unit and a third conduit connecting the housing to the air and lubricant pump to feed air and lubricant to and through the pump from the housing to the receptacle.

, References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 5 524,318 1,342,904 1,354,663 1,824,540 1,967,251 10 2,042,575 2,531,411

Name Date Gill Aug. 14, 1894 Greenleaf June 8, 1920 Kirkman Oct. 5, 1920 Gronkwist Sept. 22, 1931 McFerren July 24, 1934 Worth June 2, 1936 Davenport Nov. 28, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain June 30, 1921 Great Britain May 6, 1947 

